128 e980
by Animerulzs1267
Summary: Yao, despite wanting to go home, has to tutor Ivan for Mathematics. Ivan said only he could help him improve his grade, and because of this they stayed over the classroom. All alone. And Yao, who just wanted to work, had never expected the equation 128 e980 to mean something more! RoChu, Rated T.


128√e980

"Can you solve this equation?" Yao asked. He felt tired after today's school activities and desired to finish this tutoring session.

He had no reason whatsoever teaching Ivan Mathematics. However, Ivan persisted because he claimed his grade was terrible and needed tutoring. And who knew Mathematics better than Yao? Outside, Yao caught a quick glance out the window, watching orange skies with whitish clouds floating aimlessly, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

The school bells gently rung afar to signal the day's end, Yao stood by the chalkboard, pointing at the equation on the hard board while Ivan expressed a gleeful face. Yao was suspicious but nonetheless quietly stood by.

"Oh, I know this one!" Ivan said, getting off his chair to write down the answer.

Yao saw the pure, guiltless smile on Ivan's face and suddenly felt odd. Why was that? Was his smiling face something Yao wasn't use to, being up close to him and staying in an empty room? The space between them was small, but at least not a closer range as Ivan took a board eraser and touched the question as if to erase it.

"What are you doing?" Yao questioned confusingly.

"Solving the question," Ivan said, leveling the eraser just above the question and gave one swipe across.

With furrowed eyebrows, Yao stared at Ivan and turned his confusion on the board. Right there he saw an equation turned to a sentence, but was shocked seeing it to now say 'I love you'.

Yao blinked and pointed, bewildered. "What—?"

"Did you not know this was a secret message? I never knew it, but one day I dropped my pencil this one time and covered the top part only. Isn't it cute?" Ivan asked in a friendly tone.

Yao couldn't believe it. "Now is not the time to goof around," Yao said, "and you said you knew the answer."

From cold that sentence, Ivan's joyful smile turned to a frown. "But Yao, I am not goofing around."

Yao ignored Ivan and, with his chalk, he wrote down another equation. He tapped the board and asked, "Can you solve this?" His voice hid frustration in a calmer tone. Ivan however sensed it and nodded silently.

From then on, they remained muted for their entire private session. _Ivan's brilliant at these questions_, Yao thought, his eyes saw the way Ivan's hand moved the chalk on the rough surface, _so why does he need support? And me, of all people? _Yao glanced from the previous questions to the un-erased sentence. He should have had the time to erase it and yet there was a compelling sense forcing him against his will. How could he just wipe out a confession in front of someone? That was too cruel, even for him. Was this sentence meant to be a silent confession?

Thinking back from the first day they met as middle school students to becoming unlikely best friends, it was somewhat amazing Ivan had held this secret. Yao felt his heart fluttered in appreciation and something more. But now after his rude tone and discouraging Ivan, he felt also guilty not taking the patience he always has for him and instead snapped at him. It saddened him a great deal, and he wanted to fix it before it was too late.

Yao's throat contrasted and he saw Ivan staring at him, his face blank without his cute smile.

"Is that it?" Ivan asked. Yao heard his voice deep and shallow. He was unhappy, that was for sure.

"Uh, yes, it is," Yao said. He took the eraser lying on the tiny shelf and Ivan moved pass him.

However, as he cleaned the board, his hand came close to wiping out the sentence…

Behind, Ivan was packing his books away and Yao wanted to do one thing before he left.

"Ivan, you made a mistake…" Yao said and when turning his head, he saw Ivan's head looking up at the board.

Before Ivan could ask what question was wrong, Yao placed the board wiper down, took a fragile piece of white chalk, tapped three times on the 'I love you' sentence and saw Ivan's expression of bewilderment. Not too long, Yao took his eyes to the board and wrote down a number two at the end, showing _his _answer.

Yao smiled to Ivan. "There, that's my answer…" Now the feeling of regret washed away and because of this, he felt better knowing he had at last gave Ivan a clear answer.

Ivan's mouth dropped just slightly, but then he laughed, "Yao, my equation was right before."

Yao scoffed, but hoped he wasn't sounding like a pompous ass. "Of course," he said. "I was merely showing you _my_ answer. You're better at Math than Alfred, so this—" he pointed at his answer and smirked, "—would put him to shame."

Ivan laughed harder. Yao gave a prideful smirk at his brilliant comment and for a moment, their silence edged. Then, Ivan asked a question.

"So, do you want to walk home with me?" Ivan asked merrily, his lips curled in a smile. Yao was relieved; his smiling face seemed to do him some good than he thought.

"As much as I would take the offer," Yao said, moving to his desk and collected his school books, "I think your sister will try to kill me."

Yao noticed Ivan's large body gave shivering motions. Nonetheless, Yao and Ivan left the classroom together, side by side, and laughed together melancholy. The two left the room feeling better than ever before and forgotten to erase the equation, but that could be erased tomorrow. Unknowingly, love was spiraling around the soft, nostril flaring air while two young boys walked outside the school's building, secretly longing to hold the other's hand.

Yes, it will take some time for Yao to get use to his friend now that they were to date in the unexpecting future, nonetheless they knew their comfort was still beside them and was stronger when both felt glad to be next to one another.


End file.
